Baked Onion Rings

Update: These are AWESOME cold too! Leftovers are still crunchy and delicious!

I have nothing against fried food, but at some point you have to dial it back a bit, at least on the side dish, so here's my solution.

When the aroma hits you, and your mouth waters, you will thank me. I won't be there, so I'll say it now.

You're welcome.

Get these things together:

1 large onion (any kind will do)

2 cups cornflakes

3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

1 large egg

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup AP flour

1 large onion (any kind will do)

2 tbsp olive oil

I forgot to put the buttermilk in the picture of ingredients, because at the time, it was in the refrigerator, with onions soaking in it, but....

Remember these little cuties? I needed buttermilk for some cornbread I was making a few weeks ago, and I froze the leftover buttermilk in ice cube trays.

Last night I took about half of this quart sized bag of buttermilk cubes, and put them into a Rubbermaid container in the refrigerator to thaw.

I chose this container because it was large enough to put all the sliced onions in when the time comes, why dirty two containers right?

Time to slice the onions. Nobody's favorite thing, but since we have to do it anyway, lets get the most out of it shall we?


Slice the onion slightly more on the thick side, thicker than you would for sandwiches, keeping in mind you want them to retain their shape after being cooked, too thin and you'll get floppy rings.

Pop out the centers, they don't make good onion rings, but they won't go to waste....

I diced up the centers of the onion slices, and it yielded 1/2 cup of chopped onions that are now in my freezer, waiting for a recipe that needs them, and when it comes along I won't have to chop onions!

This is the container I thawed the buttermilk in. About an hour before I wanted to eat, I sliced up the onions and put them in the buttermilk to soak. In the fridge.

They aren't completely submerged in the buttermilk, so put the lid on and shake it around.

Remove the onion slices from the buttermilk, but don't discard it! Pile the onions up on a plate, they'll be the start of your assembly line in a few minutes.

Look how well the buttermilk sticks to the onion rings when you take them out!

This is what's going to give you that thick batter just like deep fried, but without the extra fat.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Pour oil onto baking sheet, and put it in the oven for 2 minutes. When it comes out, tilt the baking sheet to evenly distribute the oil.

In a food processor or blender, combine corn flakes and bread crumbs, pulse until they are fine, and put them in a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl mix together the egg, buttermilk leftover from soaking, flour, salt & pepper, and any seasonings you choose, such as cayenne pepper, Old Bay, cumin, oregano, etc. It's going to look like there isn't enough of this, but I promise, it is enough.

Dredge the onions in the egg mixture, then the breading, then place on the baking sheet. Don't overlap or they'll be soggy.

Bake for 6 minutes, flip, bake 6 more minutes. That's it!

Grilled Reuben & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

This is a match made in heaven. Cheesy, meaty, saucy goodness paired with well seasoned baked sweet potatoes. YUM!

Here's what you'll need:

Rye or pumpernickel bread

Corned beef

Swiss cheese

Sauerkraut

Thousand island dressing

Butter

I start by putting a little (a lot) of butter in a frying pan on medium heat, then begin building an open-faced sandwich.... meat, sauerkraut, dressing, then cheese. In that order. The order is important for it not to fall out on you when you flip it.

This is the way I find it easiest to transfer it all to the frying pan without loosing all the goodies.

Then you can top it with the other piece of bread and some more butter for when you flip it... CAREFULLY.

And this work of art -------->

is what you will end up with.

Next up, baked sweet potatoes.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

All you need is a sweet potato, a tiny bit of olive oil, and whatever seasonings you want to use.

I prefer to keep the skin on my potatoes, you get more of the nutrients that way, plus let's face it, it's easier. Make SURE you wash AND DRY them well though, or the olive oil won't stick.

Slice the potato into strips, and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make them glisten, you don't want them swimming in it, they'll turn out soggy, and nobody wants that.

Next sprinkle with your seasonings and give them a toss. My favorite seasoning for sweet potatoes is sea salt and fresh rosemary... but... since I didn't have any rosemary I went Maryland style. Salt, a pinch of sugar, a few pinches of Old Bay and some black pepper.

Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they don't overlap or touch... again, they'll be soggy.

Bake for 15 minutes, turn once, and bake for 15 more minutes. Done.

I "recycle" my paper grocery bags for baked french fries. Just rip off a strip, wrap it in a cup shape, and fold up the end... Wha-lah! Instant french fry cup.

Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup & Grilled Cheese

This is a classic, and who doesn't love tomato soup right? Okay, confession time. I don't. In fact, I hate it.

Tomato soup has always grossed me out. It feels to me like slurping up a bowl of ketchup, but I always wanted to like it... because it makes everyone else so happy.

Tonight was the night! I can't wait to make it again with more add ins, the possibilities are endless!

Okay, grilled cheese. Yes, it's just a grilled cheese, but there are a zillion
ways to make one. I wanted to tie mine in with the tomato soup. This is what I used.

From there, it's a grilled cheese. You know what to do.

Now on to the tomato basil soup. Here's what you'll need:

• 1-28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of sweetener of your choice, agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, etc....
• basil (to taste)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Combine all ingredients except the cream in a blender, and puree.
Once blended, add cream and blend.

Transfer to a saucepan and heat slowly, being careful not to let it boil, the cream will scorch.








Here we have the finished product, and I'm happy to report that I now LOVE tomato soup, and you just can't go wrong with grilled cheese.

And BONUS! Look was was leftover for the freezer!

I don't see any reason why I can't freeze this, according to the ingredients. I'm going to give it a whirl, and when I thaw and reheat it, I'll let you know.

White Bean & Avocado Wrap

Just tried this dish for the first time and I'm so glad I did!


It was fast, inexpensive, healthy, AND will be a great dinner for those hot summer nights because there is no cooking involved!










Also qualifies for a vegetarian dish, possibly vegan as well, not sure if there are dairy products in the wraps.



I highly recommend you try this recipe...

Now, if only someone would bring me a margarita I'd be set!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons apple cider venegar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (I used olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 - 15 oz can white beans, rinsed
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 4 - 8 to 10 inch whole-wheat wraps or tortillas

Directions:

1. Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.
2. Mash beans and avocados in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.
3. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean & avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage & carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
4. Cut the wraps in half to serve.

Avocado Whipped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

These were pretty good, all things considered. It was not a good night in the kitchen for me and I was in an all around funk at the time.

They weren't bad, just didn't WOW me like I'd hoped. I'll have to try them again and see for sure, but after going to the trouble to make them, I figured I'd go ahead and put them up, and you can judge for yourselves.

Apparently I forgot the low fat sour cream at the grocery store... not sure how that happened, I distinctly remember taking time to choose which brand to get. Whatev, it was only 3 tbsp., I'll just use some greek yogurt. No greek yogurt. Ugh. I went with Half & Half, which made them too runny. Don't do that. Just sayin.


Also, by the times I was putting it all together I was so discombobulated, I forgot the Sriacha all together, so I stirred some in before putting the leftovers in the fridge.

Hopefully you'll have better luck than I did when you try these. They still sound delicious to me, like I said, just a bad night in the kitchen for me.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp low-fat sour cream
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tbsp Sriacha sauce
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 avocados

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the potatoes and let cook until soft (about 30 minutes).
2. While potatoes are boiling, heat 2 tsp butter in a large skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions, sauteing until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Note: Do not let the brown!
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let the onions caramelize, stirring occasionally (about 15 minutes).
4. When the potatoes are soft, add the remaining 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp sour cream, garlic, Sriacha, salt and pepper and whip with a whisk or hand mixer until smooth (about 2 minutes).
5. Add the avocado slices a few at a time, continuing to whip, until you have your desired color and flavor.
6. Top with caramelized onions to serve.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

I think this might just be the most delicious meal I've ever made, and it took all of 15 minutes!

Delicious, quick, healthy, AND inexpensive... is there anything missing? That was a rhetorical question folks... the answer is no.

I will be making this meal every time avocados are on sale.





Thank you for the inspiration Jo! Might I add great timing too, organic avocados are on sale at my favorite local produce spot (Ward's Supermarket for you locals) for $1.29 each, same price as the regular ones. I love when that happens.

You will swear there is cream in this recipe... but nope. All the ingredients <-----are right there!

Here is all you'll need:

• 1 medium avocado
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1, 2, or 3 garlic cloves, you're choice. I can't get enough of the garlicky stuff!
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 tbsp. organic extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings of pasta, chef's choice (I used whole grain. A girl needs her fiber ya know.)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In the time it takes your pasta to cook, you'll have the sauce ready, so start with putting a pot of water on the stove to boil. Add a little salt (for taste) and olive oil (to keep the noodles from sticking).

Next, get to saucin' with your food processor.... which btw, I don't own, so I used my blender.

Process/blend until smooth: garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Once smooth, add: avocado, basil, and salt. Blend until smooth.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and place in a bowl. Pour sauce on top and toss until pasta is fully coated.

Garnish with lemon zest if you like, and black pepper. Also, I felt inspired at the end and shaved a little bit of Parmesan I had in the fridge on the top.

That's it! You're going to LOVE this dish. When you try it, please come back and tell me what you think.

Enjoy!

Good Ole Tomato Sandwich

Ahhhh.... vine ripe tomatoes. Is there anything that makes me happier? Well, frankly yes. But that's a different blog.

There are so many foods I miss from my years in Maryland, and if I ever leave Florida it will be the tomatoes I miss most.

What could be easier?

Toast up the bread...

Spread some mayonnaise (Hellman's is the only mayo for me)...

Slice one of those big red beautiful vine ripe tomatoes...

Sprinkle with some sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper and...

Here you have your masterpiece!

Not gourmet, but a favorite for sure.

Leftover buttermilk?

YES! You can freeze buttermilk!

No recipe here, just a tip. Maybe I'm a little more excited about this than I should be, but you have no idea how much buttermilk has gone down my sink because I just didn't know.

I bought buttermilk for my cornbread muffins, but the smallest amount they had in the store was a quart, and I only needed 1/2 a cup.

I did some research and found that you CAN freeze buttermilk.

I'm guessing I'm only going to need 1/2 cup or so at a time, so I poured mine into ice cube trays to freeze them so I can take out as much or little as I need.

Here's everything you ever wanted to know about buttermilk, and then some.

1. Buttermilk will last up to 2 weeks due to its high acidity level, although it's best the first week.
2. Once opened, it should be used within a week for drinking, but will be fine for baking even after the expiration date.
3. Like milk, buttermilk can be frozen up to 3 months, but it is not recommended for drinking once frozen and thawed because it tends to separate.
4. To thaw, let buttermilk sit in the refrigerator and be sure to mix it well to reincorporate the solids with the liquids.

Caprese Salad

This dish isn't exactly rocket science, but it sure is fun to look at huh?

I'm drooling already.

In the beginning of summer, when the tomatoes are so perfect here in Florida, and it's not too hot for the basil yet, I probably eat this for dinner twice a week.

• tomatoes
• fresh buffalo mozzarella
• fresh basil
• GOOD olive oil (organic first cold press)
• salt & pepper

Layer it up and dig in! No heating up the house with cooking, and goes perfectly with a glass of red wine.... or a martini for that matter.